The Reluctant Playboy
by Sheyda
Summary: Wrongfully-accused Harry spent a year in Azkaban before killing Voldemort and proven innocent. Returning to Hogwarts for his Sixth Year is a matured but deeply betrayed Harry. And defeating Voldemort was easy compared to what he has to deal with now…gir
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I Own The World! So sue me!

Warning: There's not much **logic** in this fic.

Description: This is a full romance story with a PG-13 rating. If you have read 'The Reluctant Playboy' or heard of it _before this_, **_that_** fic has been re-named 'Curse of the Banshees' (also written by me of course). These two fics are actually the same. CotB is an angst-themed fic with plot and no romance. On the other hand, tRP is romance, skipping straight to the mush/fluff/smut but with plot written in 'synopsis' form in every chapter. Each can be read independently (Honest!), but for best results, I recommend you combine reading both fics.

Method: Read Chapter 1 to 5 from 'Curse of the Banshees' **OR** read this chapter.

**Summary**:

This is pretty AU. Starts in GoF at the Third Task. Barty Crouch was never discovered as Mad-Eye and remained under that guise until recently when the Dark Lord's rise to power is almost complete. When Harry was about to portkey out of the cemetery after Voldemort's resurrection, Voldemort couldn't stop him but he managed to cast a very powerful Dark spell on the Triwizard cup. Harry arrived back at Hogwarts and was immediately surrounded by a huge crowd. Someone tried to take the cup out of his hands and that activated the Dark spell. It killed or injured almost a hundred people gathered around that area but left Harry unscathed in the center. Some students, teachers and many spectators died that day. Barty Crouch managed to prove Harry responsible for Cedric's death. The evidence gathered in the investigation all pointed to Harry as the caster of the Dark spell since his wand was brother to Voldemort's. The Death-eaters at the Ministry and biased Ministry workers gave Harry an unfair trial and sentenced him to fourteen years in Azkaban for the mass-murder at Hogwarts. Dumbledore tried to interfere and lighten his sentence but the solid evidence provided by the Death-eaters in disguise had even convinced him of Harry's guilt along with everyone else. Sirius, Ron, Hermione and the Weasleys all believed Harry was a murderer and showed their hatred for him plainly. In the end, no one came to Harry's rescue.

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

Harry Potter, the-boy-who-finished-off-Voldemort could not believe he was sitting in his little dilapidated bedroom in Number Four, Privet Drive. True, it was the beginning of summer holidays before he would return to Hogwarts for his Sixth Year, but it was still incredible. And the reason for this was that while last year Ron, Hermione and all his other schoolmates went to Fifth Year and sat for their OWLs, Harry Potter stayed in his cell in Azkaban. He had been expecting to stay there for another thirteen years but Voldemort decided to kill him instead of leaving him there to lose his mind. When the Death-eaters came to Azkaban to release the other prisoners, they took Harry back to the shore and put him at Voldemort's feet. Dumbledore and all the other wizards could only watch helplessly as Voldemort revealed to them all how Harry was innocent of the heinous crime he had been accused of. Voldemort revealed Harry's innocence to them as a final insulting blow before Harry's _intended_ demise. Instead, the deeply feared Voldemort met his very abrupt end there at Harry's hand.

Harry was granted a full pardon and a million galleons compensation. Harry Potter once again became the hero of the wizarding world but this time he was a disillusioned man instead of a shy, quiet boy. Being a minor still, he had to stay with a guardian and return to Hogwarts according to Ministry regulations. Feeling deeply betrayed by Sirius and the Weasleys, he turned them down harshly and chose to return to the Dursleys for the summer before returning to Sixth Year, Hogwarts.

Having all his friends and 'family' turn their backs on him, spending over a year in Azkaban guarded by his Worst Fear—dementors, and suffering from horrible nightmares and 'Voldemort--scar visions', Harry suffered such trauma that his hair turned pure white while he was in Azkaban. But now that he was able to feel things beside only the misery and pain he had felt in Azkaban, Harry was going to make the most of it. Gone was the shy boy who wanted nothing but to remain in obscurity and allowed people like Rita Skeeter to put the words in his mouth. Here now was a man, hardened by his experiences, cynical towards the world, capable of holding his own.

However, there was much to do before returning to the wizarding world and Hogwarts. Harry had to build the image that would show them all how he had changed and he needed to transform from a scrawny, malnourished boy into someone who was respected and not taken lightly. His growth had suffered tremendously due to his stay in Azkaban and he had three months to make up for it before he had to return to Hogwarts. And since he was now filthy rich with a million galleons, he began to work on his new image immediately. After having some of the money transferred to a local muggle bank and acquiring a credit card, he set out on his new mission.

Incidentally he found himself in a fitness center not far form Privet Drive called Holistic Exizt. After signing up for a membership, he was introduced Ashley Hudson, a young woman in her mid-twenties who worked there and who would be Harry's personal fitness trainer. She had waist length braided dirty-blonde hair and she seemed a very cheerful and energetic person making Harry feel at ease with her.

Unfortunately, the ease he felt in her presence evaporated once she began to ask the standard questions every trainer asked their charge before planning a fitness program. Harry felt himself closing up despite Ashley's warm and friendly demeanor. She wanted to know what happened to his hair. She wanted to know his eating habits for the past year or so. She wanted to know what sports or physical activities he had been doing lately. Harry tried to think up acceptable answers to her questions but ended up remaining silent. He realized that she needed truthful answers to be able to help him but he couldn't very well explain it to her.

Ashley seemed to sense that something was seriously wrong and decided to let Harry tell her what he wanted instead of asking questions. He looked so lost and uncertain at that moment. Harry took a deep breath. He needed this. He needed her help and he sensed she genuinely wanted to help him. So he decided to tell her everything. She was still a muggle so he couldn't tell her about the magical world but he could give her all the information she needed to help him. So he began his story falteringly, telling her a little about his life, explaining Voldemort as an underworld don and Azkaban as a top secret prison of the Intelligence and the dementors as a torturing device. He felt a little guilty lying to her and he felt a little uncertain whether she was buying his story. He was sure keeping his eyes lowered and wringing his hands weren't helping. He ended the story with his release just yesterday and the compensation money that the government had paid him just today.

When he raised his head uncertainly to look at her, he was shocked to find her in tears. He had explained everything as unemotionally as he could but it had still left her shaken. She wiped away the tears and smiled at him, telling him how sorry she was. It took her a moment to compose herself then she tried to sound cheerful. She decided to re-do the three month package. They could start with physical fitness twice a day for an hour and increase the duration once he got used to it. Since he needed a proper diet to maximize the effects, she suggested he have all his meals at the center. His membership should be changed to Premium so that he could access all the facilities. He would have swimming training as well as other sports.

Ashley took him to change his membership then led him out of the center. She told him she knew a great place where he could get a haircut and some clothes and Harry agreed to go with her. Ashley took him to an expensive three-storey boutique which had a hair-styling salon linked to it. The place was practically empty with only two women browsing together. Ashley dragged him in and called one of the salesgirls. Apparently she knew the girls who worked there very well. Harry continued to look around him. The place was tastefully furnished with soft light and lots of mirrors. Once the two ladies had left the boutique, all the other salesgirls crowded around them. Harry began to feel nervous surrounded by so many females at once. Ashley explained that Harry was a close friend and had come for a makeover which sent the other girls into squeals of delight. Harry felt a little frightened by their reaction and was wishing he hadn't come. Ashley further embarrassed him by explaining that she would be giving him a physical makeover at the gym while it was up to the girls to get him the right clothes and hair. They would need a few sets of clothes right now but the rest of the wardrobe would be bought later on.

Before he knew it, Harry was being handed a set of clothes and pushed towards the changing rooms. He was briskly ordered to try on a few more sets as the girls judged what suited him best before being whisked over to the hair-styling salon and having his hair fixed. The girls debated the best hairstyle over his head without paying him much attention. Harry was feeling completely manipulated and tried to get a word in but every time he opened his mouth he would get a remark like "Trust me darlin', men know nothing about style. Just let us handle it." Ashley had given some sort of explanation for his unusual hair-color and the two professional hairstylists discussed the best cut to go with it. The haircut and styling took over an hour to finish. They had suggested Harry get his hair dyed or have a few streaks added but Harry refused. His hair was now shoulder-length with shorter strands framing his face. The styling mousse and hair spray made it more manageable, giving it a stylishly messy look. He had been bombarded throughout the hour with tips on how to style his hair everyday from the stylists. The girls hurried him back to the changing rooms insisting he needed to try on more clothes to match with his hairstyle. After another exhausting half-hour, Harry finally paid for his purchases and stepped out, Ashley following him while promising the girls to bring him back soon. Harry gave her a harassed look which only made her burst into laughter.

They parted ways after Ashley told him to come to the fitness center two days later. She needed to research growth spurts and the correct diet on his behalf. He smiled to himself as he walked past rows of shops. The morning had done him a whole world of good. He had felt like a guinea pig back at the boutique as Sally complained about her boyfriend's taste in clothes and Joanne sighed in sympathy while filing her nails and Kelly ordered him to straighten his collar and turn around but he had enjoyed it all the same. People still stared at him as he walked the streets but his clothes and hairstyle made him seem more like a normally weird teenager.

'''''

Harry was sitting on a bench in the park, watching some children play. They were so carefree, laughing and screaming with delight or chasing each other, giggling all the while. Harry spent every evening just sitting there and enjoying the atmosphere. It had been two weeks since his release from Azkaban. He was getting on very well with his fitness program though he hadn't noticed any drastic changes yet. He had all his meals there with Ashley scolding him every time he said he was full before he had finished everything on his super-sized plate and the tall glass of protein shake or whatever it was. He was proud to say he had learnt how to swim rather well in a short time.

Harry had visited the local bookstore and bought a few books that interested him. He spent his days swimming, working out, reading or just roaming around town. The Dursleys were back to ignoring him and he them. It didn't bother him but he wondered about the lost look his aunt sometimes gave him. He didn't think it was possible for her to feel guilty, she was probably trying to come up with a believable story about his hair-color to tell her friends. The nightmares were back in full swing but he was so used to them that he would just lay back on the bed and go back to sleep after waking up screaming. Harry tried to keep busy and ignore the sadness and hurt that he sometimes felt whenever he saw a group of friends doing something together.

Harry was jolted out of his thoughts by a sudden burst of laughter not far from him. Most of the kids had returned home since it was getting dark but there was a group of teenage girls wandering together and laughing at something. As they got closer to the bench where he was sitting one of them looked straight at him. Her smile faltered and she gazed curiously at him. Harry saw her and turned his head the other way wondering whether to go swim or just stay for a while longer before he had his dinner.

The girl who had been staring at him stopped her friends not far from where Harry was sitting and asked them who he was in a whisper. She had wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail and wore a 'Casper the Friendly Ghost' T-shirt with jeans and sneakers.

"That boy? He's Harry Potter, Dudley's cousin. You remember Dudley, the big bully I showed you the other day? All of us used to go to the same school." Sandra, the blonde bookworm answered, pushing her glasses up.

"Let's go over and talk to him" the first one whispered back before turning towards Harry.

"NO Vicky! _Are you crazy_? He's dangerous. He goes to St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys." Sandra rasped in one breath and the other girls nodded fearfully.

Oblivious to the whispering girls, Harry got up and headed for Exizt for a swim before dinner. He'd do a couple of laps back-stroke, then listen to Ashley scold him over dinner for not practicing his freestyle.

"Oh look, he's gone" the other girls sighed with relief at Vicky's statement.

"Why is his hair white?" she asked sitting on the bench Harry had just vacated as her friends joined her.

"No one knows. My mom tried to ask Mrs. Dursley –that's his aunt– the other day and she got all upset and wouldn't answer" Janet replied.

"He's only here during the summer and last year he didn't come back at all." Sandra continued.

"Hmmm...interesting" Vicky said absentmindedly. She definitely had to talk to this Harry Potter the next time she saw him.

'''''

Harry was flipping through a non-fiction book at the bookstore when a voice close to him made him jump.

"What are you looking at?" Harry recognized the girl who'd been at the park the other day. She was looking at the book he was holding.

"Here" he said offering the book to her.

She didn't take the book but just kept looking at him.

"My name is Vicky Denver. What's yours?" she asked instead.

Harry placed the book back on the shelf and moved two rows away, browsing through the fiction section now. He had been caught by surprise at her question. He didn't know what to say. Every time he looked at someone around his own age he'd remember his friends at Hogwarts. He knew this Vicky and all the other youths in Surrey weren't the friends who had abandoned him but still he felt an irrational anger at them. He could speak to Ashley or Elaine but he would freeze whenever around his own age-group.

"You won't tell me your name? Too bad. I already know. It's Harry Potter isn't it?" the annoying girl had followed him and just stood there leaning against the bookshelf.

"What, nothing to say? Ignoring me won't help, you know. I'll just keep pestering you until you stop ignoring me" she continued.

Harry decided he'd come back another day. He took the two books he'd found earlier and went to pay at the counter. To his annoyance, the girl followed him. She just stood beside him as he paid for the books and took the plastic bag containing the books. Harry walked out of the bookstore quickly. As he turned his head back slightly to make sure she wasn't following him, Vicky grabbed his plastic bag from the other side and retreated a few steps.

"Give it back" Harry's voice was leveled though he felt his impatience grow.

"No" she replied impishly.

"What do you want?" his anger was beginning to show.

"I just wanna be friends" she replied spreading her hands.

Harry took the opportunity to try and grab his books but she was too quick and retreated just in time.

"_Vicky_? What on earth are you _doing_? Didn't you hear what I said about him? Why are you speaking to that dangerous freak..." Sandra said before she remembered that Harry could hear her too. She was looking at him fearfully.

Harry recognized the blonde girl who had been in his Fourth Grade Math class. His emerald eyes turned icy at her remark and he gave the girl a death-glare before snatching his plastic bag from a surprised Vicky and walking away.

"Now look what you did. I had almost made friends with him and you ruined it" Vicky scolded her friend angrily.

"Why would you want to be friends with him? He's a dangerous criminal" Sandra asked.

"Oh, that's all just bullshit. He's not a criminal" Vicky replied with conviction as the other girls joined them.

"How do you know? Why does he go to that school for criminals then?" one of the girls asked.

"Look, you guys went to school with him, right? Did he commit any crimes in school? Then? When did he have time to commit crimes? You said he went to that 'school' straight after finishing elementary. If he didn't commit any crimes while in school, then how can he be a criminal? Surely that 'school' his aunt claims to have sent him to doesn't take in 'future criminals' even if that is what the snobby woman claimed him to be." The other girls looked blank for a moment before they finally understood what she was saying.

"I saw his aunt at Janet's house the other day. She seems a completely over-dramatic gossip to me. I don't believe anything she says. I wanna talk to this Harry Potter" she declared before stomping off.

Harry was in the empty playground, legs dangling just above the ground from where he was sitting on the wooden thingamajiggy that was the bridge to the spaceship-thingy. He was recalling his own childhood when he heard several people approaching. He looked up to see the Vicky from the bookstore and her friends. Vicky nudged her blonde friend, the one with the careless remark at the bookstore and she came forward looking at him almost cautiously.

"I...I'm-I'm sorry about what I said the other day. I didn't mean it. Honest" she said almost childishly.

Harry stared at her causing her to gulp noisily then nodded.

"It's okay" he replied before turning his gaze back the other way. He hoped they'd all go away now but his wish wasn't granted.

"Sooo, how 'bout we be friends?" the ever-annoying Vicky suggested.

"No, thanks" Harry replied looking at her and her friends before getting down and walking off in the other direction.

"Whoa, what do you have against us anyway?" Vicky had raced and blocked his way.

He ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly wondering what on earth did the she-devil want from him.

"Look, I don't want to be _friends_ okay? So why don't you leave me alone?" he suggested coldly.

"Why don't you want to be friends? Everyone wants to have friends? Why do you want to be alone?" Vicky studied him as if he was an enigma she needed to solve.

"I'm not like everyone else. Just back off. I don't need friends" he spat viciously before side-stepping her and striding away.

"What a temper!" Vicky observed before turning to her friends.

"Oh, well. We'll catch him when he's in a better mood" she told them.

By the looks on their faces, Vicky knew they needed another round of convincing about the benefits of befriending the mysterious Mr. Potter. She flounced back to them and got started on her lecture all the while planning her next attack on him.

'''''

Harry was sitting in front of the bakery, sipping his chocolate shake when Vicky and two of her friends sat down on three of the empty chairs at his table.

"Hi, Harry! Whew, what a hot day! Is it always this hot in the summer here?" she asked one of her friends as she dumped her shopping bags on the table.

"Yeah, but you have to admit, the shopping is great. Hi Harry!" the other girl replied turning to smile at him.

"Here are your drinks, ladies. Hi Harry" Sandra placed the tray she was carrying on the table before taking the last empty chair.

Harry just stared at them, quite bewildered by their behavior. He put his unfinished milk-shake on the table and began to leave.

"Harry, you can't go! That's not very gentlemanly of you, leaving us ladies to pay for the drinks. No, don't take out your stupid wallet. We're not going to ask you to pay if you don't even have the courtesy to stay until we've finished. Honestly, what is the world coming to?" a girl whom Harry didn't even know retorted angrily pretending to be all offended as the girl beside her nodded righteously.

The girl's loud exclamation had caused the people at the neighboring table to stare at Harry disapprovingly. Harry gritted his teeth at the looks he was getting before Vicky pulled him down back into his chair.

"Sit down and finish your drink. All this anger is bad for your blood-pressure" she told him handing his drink back. He sat fuming as the girls chatted gaily, ignoring his deadly scowl.

'''''

"Hi, Mrs. Dursley. Can we come in?" Vicky was standing at the front door of Number Four with her friends.

"Oh...of course" Mrs. Dursley smiled before ushering the young ladies into the living room. Finally the neighborhood girls were beginning to notice her Dudley's fine qualities. Oh, how bittersweet it was to watch your son grow up.

"Would you girls like some tea? I just made a pot for myself" Mrs. Dursley asked before rushing away at their polite nods.

She quickly prepared the tray of tea and biscuits to occupy the girls while she called her Dudders. After taking the tray to the girls and nodding at their polite thank-yous, she rushed up the stairs to get Dudley.

"Dudley, Duddykinns. There are some nice young ladies here to see you" she knocked excitedly at his bedroom door.

Dudley opened the door looking confused but his confusion changed to delight as he heard what his mother had to say. Harry had been reading a science-fiction novel in his room when he heard his aunt speaking. He had a suspicion that it was that loony bunch of girls who followed him everywhere. He stepped out of his room and stood on the landing to listen.

"Here they are, Dudley. Now why don't you introduce me to your friends" Mrs. Dursley prompted looking expectantly at her son.

"Uhhh....Mrs. Dursley, we aren't here to see Dudley. Although he's a very nice guy and we're all glad to meet him" Vicky said and the other girls nodded vigorously.

"Actually.....we're here to see Harry......you know......your nephew?"

Harry who'd heard the whole exchange with glee still felt irritated with the girls. The nerve of them to come here, honestly! He stalked down to the living room and crossing his arms, glared at the girls.

"What are you doing here?" his question was directed to all but his gaze was focused on the impish ring-leader.

"Why Harry, is that any way to speak to your friends? We just came to see you! We hadn't seen you since Tuesday when you bought us drinks at the bakery. You had stalked off before we could thank you properly" Vicky said in a feigned hurt voice. She was a good actress, he'd give her that.

"I _am not_ your friend and I'll thank you to leave now" he replied bluntly.

"But we just got here. We haven't even finished our tea" Vicky whined, sitting down again and grabbing her cup of tea.

Mrs. Dursley who had been gaping open-mouthed for some time, pursed her lips and fixed her nephew with a grim look. How dare he? How dare he have such pretty girls as friends when her own Dudley didn't have a single female friend. He had no right to steal her Dudley's glory.

"Vernon will be home soon. He won't be pleased to find the dinner late because of guests. And the neighbours would no doubt prefer their daughters home before dark" she sniffed snobbily, staring at Harry with dislike before huffing off to the kitchen.

Dudley smiled goofily at the girls and glowered at his cousin before lumbering back upstairs. It just wasn't fair. What did the girls see in that freak cousin of his?

Harry turned back to the girls and sighed tiredly, crossing his arms.

"Well, have you finished your blasted tea?" he asked Vicky causing the girls to giggle.

"Not yet. Won't you sit down?" Vicky inquired unperturbed.

"No, I won't bloody sit down. Why are you doing this to me?" he asked feeling aggravated.

"We just want to get to know the mysterious Mr. Potter a little better" Vicky's answer made the girls giggle some more.

"Look, my uncle will be home soon. Just finish your tea and go" he ignored the giggles.

"Oh but we want to meet the hospitable Mr. Dursley. Surely he wouldn't mind if we stayed for dinner" Vicky twisted a tissue in mock agitation.

Harry gaped at her for a moment before burying his head in his hands and groaning.

"What do you want from me?" he asked in frustration.

Vicky seemed to give his question some serious consideration before replying.

"Promise to spend the weekend with us?" she set her condition.

Once again Harry was speechless before refusing vehemently. He tried to get the girls to leave him alone but they had set the condition and they wouldn't budge. After a lot of fruitless cajoling, Harry finally gave in to their demands.

And that is how Harry found himself becoming the reluctant friend to a group of hyper-active giggly girls with a she-devil for a leader.


	2. The Summer's Adventures

A/N: I don't understand why so many people seem to be reading this fic. Thanx very much for your reviews but I thought you deserved a warning….

Warning: Most normal people would consider this fic seriously sicko, wacko, psycho or all of the above. Contains a surprisingly submissive and easy-to-push-around Harry Potter (which is kinda unbelievable since he's all brave and strong fighting the bad guys). This fic is named 'Reluctant Playboy' for a reason. Harry is very, very reluctant, but the girls always force him into (ahem) situations. This chapter will show you what I mean.

Disclaimer: The short quiz in this chapter is an authentic personality quiz that was offered free in a pop-up window from a website I visited a year ago. No copyright or trademark infringement intended.

**Chapter 2: The Summer's Adventures**

The last few weeks had been interesting, Harry mused as he worked out in the gym. The girls and their friends had kept most of Harry's time occupied. They had done so many things together from playing stupid games, going on picnics, watching movies together to going to the disco. Harry had enjoyed himself on most occasions though there were some things he hadn't enjoyed. Like losing bets.

He remembered the first bet he had lost to Vicky cost him two weeks of washing dishes at her house in the mornings. It was Vicky's daily chore to wash the breakfast dishes and she'd made him do it. Harry had met Mr. and Mrs. Denver who were lecturers at the local university, Vicky's older sister Alice (she preferred to be called Ice) and her younger computer-game-crazy brother, Alex. They were all very nice even when Harry acted a little strange sometimes. It was just that sitting around the dining table in the kitchen with the family sometimes forcibly reminded Harry of the Weasleys and similar mornings at their breakfast table. Then he would remember their revolted expressions at the trial and everything inside him would freeze up. The Denvers didn't mind him zoning out. One of those mornings, Mrs. Denver had asked him why his hair was white and the others looked at him questioningly. Harry had stared at his hands on the table for a while before answering in a low voice with just one word. "Trauma!" His voice and expression had been enough to warn off the others not to ask anything else and they had respected his privacy.

Harry spent a lot of time at the Denvers'. Their little group spent some afternoons watching movies there. One afternoon Harry had gone to fetch the popcorn from the kitchen but stopped when he re-entered the living room. "What is wrong with this picture?" he'd mused out loud seeing the girls sprawled around the room. It had taken him a moment to figure it out. He was the only guy there. The situation had seriously freaked him out and the next time the girls had invited him, he had been assured that Jake and Robb would be there too. Seeing the teenagers 'wasting' sooo much of their time watching movies, Mr. and Mrs. Denver had insisted they all enroll for some of the short courses offered at the U for the community. Harry had been skeptical at first but he had enjoyed himself and learned a lot in courses such as 'Body Language 101', 'Graphology: The art of analyzing handwriting' and 'Persuasion Power: Dealing with People'.

Harry had learnt a lot out of classes too. It was amazing how much you could learn if you were driven enough. Harry had watched the personal trainers at Exizt deal with difficult and complaining customers with an unwavering smile. He had watched the girls shopping for outfits, how they bargained on the sales items, how they manipulated him and the other boys into going with them and how they dealt with unwanted attention from some of the boys at the mall. But the disco night had been the biggest eye-opener.

Harry hadn't been too comfortable with the idea but decided he'd just go for the experience. And boy what an experience it had been. His hair had been considered some funky new style and drew attention all night long. Harry turned out to be a surprisingly good dancer once Vicky had managed to coax him onto the dance floor and then he had to spent a good hour dancing with the girls. When he'd taken a break, he'd noticed Ice with a group of friends on the opposite side of the dance floor. Vicky had pointed out some other friends too. There had been one guy who had caught almost everyone's attention when he entered. Vicky explained that he worked as a stripper at the club for the three a.m. shows which they sadly wouldn't be watching. That gorgeous creature had moved with such a catlike grace, his every move mesmerizing. He had been wearing a sleeveless black sequined top that glittered with every movement and a pair of enticing leather pants. He had joined a girl at one of the tables and even danced with her later. He had gotten a great deal of catcalls and some loud and rude offers that he had silenced with a look. Harry had to admire his style, how he commanded respect and obedience despite working as a stripper. Harry didn't doubt that if it hadn't been for the man's attitude, the girls and even some of the guys wouldn't have kept their hands to themselves. Harry himself had suffered that kind of attention. He had been completely unprepared to be shoved against a dark corner by one of the 'bad girls' in a tight outfit and wild makeup. Never would he forget the suggestive things she had whispered in his ears as she ran her fingers over his slightly-muscled torso, her tongue darting out to flick over his ear. Vicky had effectively put an end to that by flinging some scathing remarks at her before dragging Harry away. Harry thought she was jealous. Sometimes she did act rather possessively towards him. It had been fun. They had gone back a few more times. Harry had kept his eyes on the male stripper whenever he saw him and though he wouldn't admit it to anyone else, he had taken to practicing the man's style. Hey, if it helped keep the reporters at bay, he'd be willing to try anything.

And then there was Vicky. She had taught him a great deal all by herself. She had seemed like a fun-loving child at first but Harry soon realized that she was anything but. Harry remembered one day when they had just newly become friends, he had been in the park with them, sitting in his usual place on the wooden planks, feet dangling a few inches above the grass. The girls had been chatting and the topic of back-stabbing best friends had come up. Harry hadn't heard much after that. His mind had returned to the painful memories his ex-best friends had given him. Thanks to the dementors, those were some of the clearest memories he had. Ron burning his things in the dorm, Hermione crying silently as he was shoved outside the school gates. He had held on to a sliver of hope, trusting Hermione's logic to come to his rescue. He had thought she would know he hadn't been the one responsible for all the deaths, just like she had known he hadn't put his own name in the Goblet. The first day of the trials she had avoided his gaze, focusing on the trial while Ron had glared venomously every time Harry had looked at Hermione. But as the trial progressed, she had turned against him. Mad-Eye Moody or rather Barty Crouch had presented all the evidence on how Harry had cheated right from the First Task. Ludo Bagman had testified that 'Harry had tricked him into betting on Harry to win the Tournament and planned to cheat Bagman out of all his money' in hopes that the court would somehow take care of the goblins who were after him to get their money. And somewhere far away, Voldemort had learnt of his link to Harry through the scar from Wormtail's description of the events of Harry's First Year at Hogwarts. Voldemort hadn't wasted a moment. He had worked complex magic to gain as much control over Harry's mind as he could, resulting in Harry saying some damning things during the trial. Harry had tried to fight the dark magic and the pain in his scar, he had tried to tell Dumbledore and the Weasleys and Hermione but no one listened to his pleas. He had been unable to find a way to stop Voldemort, unable to research a way to block the link since he didn't have any friends or any books. And his _best-friends'_ testimony had only helped make the case stronger against him, he thought bitterly.

He was so lost in those dark memories that he forgot where he was. So lost that he hadn't heard the girls talking to him. And then Vicky had told the others she knew exactly how to snap him out of it. She had marched over to where Harry was sitting, grabbed his face firmly with both hands and kissed him thoroughly. Harry had been jolted out of his memories, so surprised to find himself being kissed for the first time that he hadn't been able to move or think until Vicky had finally released him. He had stared at her openmouthed until the girls' laughter had caused him to flush and snap his mouth shut. Vicky had licked her lips, staring at him thoughtfully then announced "You taste good!" which had made the girls giggle again. Harry had attempted to stare menacingly at the laughing girls but the effect was spoiled by his flushed face and deciding there was nothing for it, he had escaped. Since that day, Vicky had taken him for her private property, to be done with as she pleased.

When Harry had gone over to the Denvers' the first time and met the rest of Vicky's family, she had wanted to show him her room. Harry had noticed a dangerous glint in her eye and declined, thinking it best to remain with the rest of the family. She had insisted and dragged him upstairs.

"Okay, I've seen your room. Can we go back downstairs now?" Harry felt nervous seeing the way she was blocking the door.

"Not yet" she replied. Vicky could be very unnerving when she remained silent or spoke little, her eyes fixed on him.

"Vicky, listen...I....I" Harry wracked his brains for something that would snap her out of this strange mood but his blood was pounding and he was at a complete loss as he was pinned between the chest of drawers and her body.

With one of her sudden movements, she had grasped his face, turning it so that she had full access to his lips and began a series of mind-numbing kisses.

"Vicky......no.......please.....stop it......Vicky, I............Don't......nooo...." Harry tried to plead between kisses as he pushed gently at her shoulders. He couldn't bring himself to push her away roughly. All the pushes and shoves he had taken during his trial had made him unable to do the same to another under any circumstances.

He couldn't deny that the kisses were thrilling, leaving him with a weak feeling in his knees and his blood rushing to his ears. The way she looked at him was enough to give him a fluttery, unsettled feeling in his stomach. But he fought those emotions with everything he had in him. He was not capable of trusting anyone. He spent so much time with these teenagers yet he didn't consider them his friends. He was not ready for a relationship. He doubted he would ever be. He liked Vicky well enough but he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. He tried to show her that in every way he could think of and though he knew she got the message, it didn't stop her from cornering Harry whenever she liked.

A week later, Harry had just lost a game to Alex on the PlayStation and taken a break since Alex had gone off to answer his friend's phone-call when Vicky had come downstairs. Seeing Harry sitting on the floor with his knees half-raised, head flung back on the sofa he was leaning against and eyes closed, she hadn't been able to resist the temptation. She had tiptoed over and placing one leg on either side of him, pretty much straddled him where he sat. Harry's eyes flew open when he felt her weight settling on him.

"Vicky, what..." that was as far as he got before her lips blocked the words forming on his mouth. His head was thrust back by the force of her kiss. His heart began to pound as the kiss intensified. He tried to pry her fingers off of his face, so he could move his head away before his movements became any more sluggish. He tried to raise her off him by lifting her by the waist but touching the hourglass curve made him draw back his hands as if burned. He tried to push at her shoulders but nothing worked and his efforts only managed to excite her.

"Stop it.....don't" Harry's voice came out breathless rather than commanding as he'd hoped when she paused for a moment. The burning emerald eyes scorched her and placing the palms of her hands firmly against his jaw, Vicky deepened the kiss. The feel of her exploring tongue inside his mouth made his blood race through his veins. Harry tried to pull her hands off his jaw before his mind went completely blank but she was determined not to let him. She kissed him again and again until her mother's insistent voice called her repeatedly from the kitchen and she grumbled off with a final violent kiss.

The matters had only been worsened one day when the girls had bullied him into taking a silly little personality quiz. He still blushed when he remembered their antics since that fateful day. The girls had found a simple quiz that identified a person's priorities in life. Harry had been reading a sports magazine and hadn't paid much attention to their squeals and giggles until they coaxed him into taking the quiz. It went something like:

If you were at home and had to do the following things, sort them from one to five with number one being what you did first followed by the rest.

(a) Close the running water tap

(b) Answer the ringing phone

(c) Pick up the crying baby

(d) Collect the laundry from the lining since it was raining

(e) Answer the door

Harry had argued that there was no baby at home and picking the laundry wasn't his job but the girls had made him number all five of the choices anyway.

So he had given his answer. (1) d.....(2) c.....(3) e.....(4) a.....(5) b

His answer had made the girls squeal and howl with laughter. Harry had collected the bottles and plates afraid one of them might come crashing down on them in their mirth. _Girls! _Finally at Vicky's urging they had calmed down and watched eagerly as Vicky began to explain the results to him.

"Your fifth choice was to answer the phone. That means your least important priority in life is your career. Your fourth choice was to turn off the water tap so money is more important than career. Your third choice was to answer the door so that's us, your third priority in life is friends. Your second choice, the crying baby represents family and it being your second priority" Vicky paused and all the girls held their breaths, smirking at Harry in a worrying way.

"Your first choice was picking the laundry from the rain and you know what that means?.........That means that your number one priority in life iiiiiiiiss.....SEX" this made the girls let out howls of laughter at Harry's confused expression and red ears.

"Yes Harry, you are a Sex-crazed _animal_" Vicky growled as she advanced on him trapping his legs making him lay back on the floor as she all but climbed on top of him.

"You can't live without good sex, you _need_ excitement in your bed, you are so hot-blooded that you constantly need new experiences" Vicky had continued in that wicked voice trailing her fingers over his chest in a suggestive manner. Harry lay there deeply panicked at having Vicky on top of him and the other girls sitting around watching him in amusement.

And since that day, Harry had gotten at least one teasing remark a day about his wild sexuality and passionate nature. The next time he went to the disco, a huge party had been thrown and most of the neighborhood kids were there. The girls must have said something about his allegedly burning desires to the other girls because he had found oh so many girls checking him out and some even making kinky suggestions. At one point, he had found himself trapped by three girls who were convinced they had an offer he couldn't resist. Harry had declined politely while holding one girls hand firmly from going any lower down his body and trying to get another girl to stop nuzzling his neck. The girls weren't ready to take no for an answer and kept trying to sway him.

"No please...I-I'm just an innocent little boy" Harry tried to sound as lame as possible.

"Why you sweet widdle innocent boy, Aunty's gonna help you gwo up in a jiffy" one of them replied.

Harry had a hard time escaping that group and some other desperate females that night. The teasing and Vicky's frequent attacks on his person continued throughout the month.

Harry's fitness program had gone much better than expected. He now had a gorgeous, mouth-watering body and a respectable height thanks to his grueling workouts and carefully planned diet. He had pushed himself pretty hard even when Ashley had told him to take a break or call it a day, knowing that a strong body and good height were essential for an intimidating presence. As the holidays were coming close to an end, Harry decided to add the finishing touches to his transformation by getting a tan. So he planned a beach vacation for the three weeks before he had to return to Hogwarts. When he told his group of 'friends', they had been disappointed that he was leaving but happy for him all the same. The mention of the beach and a tan had brought on another long discussion about Harry's so-called carnal appetites. The girls never tired of teasing him about that stupid priority quiz result. Vicky remained pretty quiet for a while before snapping her fingers and dashing off to call her dad. The next day Vicky dragged Harry to her house where everyone was having breakfast. Just when he thought he would finally be getting away from Vicky's amorous assaults, she announced that the family would be joining Harry for the vacation. Vicky's family had been planning a vacation since her dad's promotion and moving into the big house in this neighborhood but they couldn't agree on where to go. Now they had decided that Harry had the right idea and wouldn't it be fun if they all went together? Harry really couldn't see any way out of the arrangement and he knew that they meant well, but he still tried all the feeble protests before reluctantly giving his flight number and hotel reservations to Mr. Denver.

So here he was, taking a final swim at the large Exizt swimming pool the evening before his flight. Ashley had given him all the instructions on maintaining his form and fitness. He had finished buying all the clothes he'd need, visiting the boutique with Ashley the week before and all the times the girls had taken him to the mall and talked him into buying some leather and denim things as well as sporty branded outfits. The Dursleys were still too freaked out by him to do much more than grunt or sniff when he'd told them he was going off. He had said his good-byes to all the people he had gotten to know over the summer and only one person was left. He wanted to thank Ashley for all that she had done. She was busy with a phone-call just now but he knew she'd have time for a chat since the place was almost empty. She was the only person he'd told about Azkaban and everything and he was grateful for her silent support. She hadn't asked any more questions since the day he'd first told her even when he could sense that she wondered about some things. She also had the uncanny ability to sense his moods and she would plan jogging or kickboxing on the mornings when he showed up after suffering heavy nightmares. Harry climbed out of the swimming pool and picked up his bathrobe which was lying near the glass panel that separated the swimming pool from the gym. Ashley approached him as he was busy tying the sash.

"Ashley!" Harry grinned as he looked up and saw her.

"You've come to say goodbye?" she asked as she came closer to him. She looked sad but serene.

"Yeah! I...I wanted to thank you for all...." Harry glanced down not knowing how to form the words to thank her. He didn't notice how close she had come.

"For all the things I have done? But I haven't done anything" she said coming even closer.

"You've done so much, Ashley. You've completely changed me" Harry said earnestly.

"Then why don't you thank me properly" Ashley suggested softly closing the gap between them, her hands on his shoulders.

"Ashley...?" Harry was unsure as he watched the distance between their lips disappear.

"I've been wanting to do this for so long" she threaded her fingers through his hair, her breath felt warm against his face.

Her lips touched his in a gentle kiss as her fingers massaged his scalp, making his unease fade away.

Harry stayed there in her embrace for a long time, not offering any resistance yet not knowing how to respond. He really liked Ashley but he'd never thought of her the way she had just admitted thinking of him. She didn't seem to mind his lack of response, indeed it was almost as if she expected it. With one final kiss, she stepped back.

"Goodbye Harry. It was nice knowing you" she smiled sadly, a single tear escaping her eyes before she turned around and walked away.

Harry was still in a haze from the delicate kisses and couldn't reply. He wanted to go after her, tell her he'd probably be back next year but he decided to let it go. Instead he headed for the changing rooms, strangely at peace with everything. He would miss her.

Harry picked up his bag and left Exizt, pausing at the huge gates to take a final look. And then he was off to his final night of sleeping at the Dursleys. This time tomorrow, he would be on a flight to a beach paradise.

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A/N: Here are the answers to the priority quiz, in case they weren't very clear.

If you were at home and had to do the following things, sort them from one to five with number one being what you did first followed by the rest.

(a) Close the running water tap - Money

(b) Answer the ringing phone - Career

(c) Pick up the crying baby - Family

(d) Collect the laundry from the lining since it was raining - Sex

(e) Answer the door - Friends


End file.
